Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-08-26
RUSSIAN TEA-GARDENS.
The Semi Oriental Customs of the Glitter MS
OF the sChicago of Russia"

The Semi Oriental Customs of the Citizens
OF the .Chicago of Russia."
The Oriental domes and mosque-like
pinnacles of Odessa suggest Constan-
tinople or Bagdad. and the filthy beg
CARS who lounge within the court
yards of the sacred ediiices make the
illusion disgustingly real. 1t is in this
great wheat market city. called "the
Chicago of Russia" that the stranger
gets his first glimpse of Eastern life.
The stately public buildings. the bazaar
like shop windows, the AFFECT appear
ance of the beggars. the ferocity OF
the feas, and the infinite number of
dogs are more real than the Arabian
Nights to an imaginative mind. The
summer nights are cool, but during
the day the sun floods the earth with
its scorching rays. The evenings are
usually spent in the tea-gardens, which
are feature of all Russian towns.
They are like the beer-gardens of Ger
many, only tea is drunk instead Of
beer. 1t is called "chat' pronounced
"chi'') and served in Bohemian cut
glass "tumblers," with humps of loaf
sugar and slices of lemon. Chat is the
universal drink, and the samovar in
which it is made is n symbol of Rus
sian hospitality. This curious teapot
is brass or copper vessel. shaped not
unlike an urn. The ordinary house
hold samovar is from one to two feet
high, and ten inches in diameter, and
polished in the highest style of art.
1t is so ingeniously constructed
that, with II hot charcoal fire
burning in its little furnace, it may
stand on n table for hours without
scorching the cloth. Some of the very
expensive samovars are us large as Il
barrel and rs high rs mans head, bat
all are made on the same principle;
that is, u straight pipe or flue runs per-
pendicularly through the center of the
vessel, which is filled with water. The
fluc projects at the top of the samovaI
like little round chimney. When the
! charcoal is we'll kindled, and the water
boils. Il few spoonfuls of black tea are
put IN small china teapot, which is
filled with hot water drawn from the
faucet of the samover. Then the tea
pot is set over the chimney, in which {,
series of holes just below its moutl
prevents stoppage of the draught
When the tea is thoroughly "steeped'
and the liquid very dark, a little il
poured into the guests glass, which il
then filled with boiling water from thu
samovar. There is a saying in Russi;
that hospitality never ceases Will
there is water in the samovar. TIL
water in the pot is never allowed t
boil, and only the best tea that the hos
can afford is used Itcosts all the wa
from one to thirty dollars II pound, an
: merchants make Il business of bring
1 ing it overland across the desert
| from China by extensive te
caravans. 1t is generally believe
a in Russia that n sea-voyage destroy
o the peculiar flavor of the chai. Th
9 best guality-such as is used for til
t imperial tablets transported in leathe
5 bags enclosed in carefully sealed east
: to prevent contact with the atmospher
e This kind of tea is worth from thirt
| to forty dollars II pound. Warrior
Il grades of Russian tea are sold in Pari
i where also samovars of beautiful Il
e signs can be purchased for twenty
thirty dollars Il piece. The ordina
q, tea of Russia is far superior to any Il
he drunk in country or in England in ia
III its delicious flavor is unknown, and CT
y not be initiated by the most skillf
d preparation of English tea. Cryst;
y lied white sugar is used by the Russi
NJ tea-drinkers, and slice of lemon civ
&c the liquid an exquisite flavor, but crea
IS or milk is never seen on IL tea-tab
al Wealthy people often use jellies. Fro
H. six to twenty glasses of chat are oft
OF drunk by single person at sittin
Sc and at private parties the guests rema
ed until very late. In the tea-garde
TO bands of musicians play regular p1
OF grammes during the evenings, VIII
us the fashionable ladies and gentlem
e of the city drink tea and discuss
e' gossip of the hour.-Ralph Mceker,
IL Harper's Magazine.
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